Bill-board.



J B. GRANT.

v BILL BOARD. APPLICATION FILED mm. 31, 1910.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

Attorneys ITED STWE T JOHN B. GRANT, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

' BILL-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

Applicationfiled March 31, 1910. Serial No. 552,647.

The principal object of the invention-is-to provide a device of'the character specified which is adapted to be easily and quickly placed in position upon a lot or-other piece f ground no matter'how uneven the surface may be, and which can be properly trued or leveled without regard to the unevenness of the surface of the ground.

.j' A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character specified which can be. assembled either in the form of a single or double deck bill board, the

, bination and arrangement of parts andin;

the details of construction hereinafter de scribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment. of

- invention herein disclosed can be made within thescope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this sp.ecification:-Figure 1 is a perspective view-of a bill board constructed in accordance with the present invention, the View being taken from the rear of the board. Fig. 2 is a side' elevation of a bill board arranged in accordance with the invention in double deck form. Like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawing.

The referenceinumeral 1 indicates the bill board which may be of any suitable form and construction, and which, in the embodiment of invention illustrated, is formed ofsheet metal or the like having its upper edge bent forward in the form of a flange 2 having a downwardly curled forward edge 3 which is adapted to serve as a protector for the bills on the board 1, the flange 2 and edge 3 serving to deflect rain or moisture, Extending longitudinally along the rear surface of the board 1 are bracing members or bars 4 which are secured to the board in any suitable manner such as by means of the bolts 5. The uppermost brace member 4 preferably is disposed a short distance below the upper edge of the board 1 as shown. Secured to the brace members 4 in any suitable manner such as by means of the bolts 6, are a number of vertically extending supports or bars 7. The supports or bars 7 preferably although not essentially are circular in cross section. The supports 7 at their lower endsextend some distance below the lowermost bracing member 4: as Well as the lower edge of the board l, and at their upper ends the to.the upper edge'of the bill board, which causes their upper ends to be some distance above the upper edge of the uppermost bracing bar tas shown. The supports 7 at their lower ends are adjustably fitted into the interior of the tubular ground members or 'devices 9, said tubular members being closed and pointed at their lower ends as indicated at 10 and being rovided with adjusting screws or other .sultable locking devices 11 which canbe screwed in so as to engage the outer surfaces of the supporting members 7 and hold them-in any position within the tubular members 9 to which they may have been adjusted.

In erecting the bill board the round devices or tubular members 9 are riven into the-soil and the supports 7 of the bill board are fitted thereinto, the different members 7 being differently adjusted in the ground members 9 so as to compensate for any 'irregularities in the surface of the land. In this manner the board 1 can always be .disposed in a true horizontal position no matter how irregular the surface upon which it is erected may be.

The means for bracing the board 1 preferably consists of a plurality of brace bars 15 each of which is plvotallyand detachably connected with'one of, the supports 7 at its upper e d as indicated at 16 and at its lowerl end is formed with a ,pluralityof perforations or openings 18 each adapted to receive a bolt 19 which extends through a ground member 20 having in its upper end a slot 21' ,ef a thickness sufficient to receive the flattened portion 17 of the brace member 15. By arranging the bolts 19 of the diflerent ground supports 7 preferably extend approximately attened as indicated at 17 and is members 20 in different holes 18 of the brace members 15, said brace members can be adadjustably fitted into the upper en justed so as to accommodate irregularities of the soilin which the ground members 20 are embedded.

Q When it is desired to arrange the improved bill board of the present invention in a plurality of tiers, the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing 1s employed. In this construction the two bill boar s 1-1 are of the same construction approximately as that shown in Fig. 1. Connecting memk;

bers 25 are employed for connecting the upper ends ofthe lower tier with the lower ends of the upper tier as shown; Each of these connecting members 25 is formed preferably at its inward end with an elbow 26 having a downward extension which is adapted to telescope over the upper end of the support 7 abovethe upper brace member 4 so' as to secure a firm grip thereon. At its rear end each of the connecting members.

25 is provided with a vertically extending tubular portion 27 which forms a T-joint adapted to receive the lower end of. the

standard 7 of the-upper tier of the bill board. The portionsof the supports 7 which project below the tubular member 27 of each 2, are of the ground members 9 which are the same as connecting piece 25 as shown in those shown in Fig. 1 except that they are longer so' as to provide a greater height above the surface of the ound, the members 9 being PIOVidQd WIth the adjusting screws 11 the same as in the other form of the invention. In this modified construc- 'tion, the brace members 15 are-exactly the same as those-;-sl iown in Fig; 1 except that: they are longepp] The brace members 15 are pivotally andl detachably connected at 16 with the support? of the upper bill board, and at their. ow

nected'with theground members 20 the same nature as easily as upon level ground. Moreover it is adapted to be arranged in one or two tiers without changing or altering the construction of the bill board in the slightest degree, it being merely necessary to use the additional -setof ground devices 9 and slightly longer bracing members 15.

-What is claimed as'new is 1. A bill board having longitudinally extendin thereot, vertically extending supports connected with said bracing members, said supports extending above the bracing members at their upper ends and below the bracing members at their lower ends, ground devices having sockets to receive the lower ends of bracing members on the rear face.

said supports and provided with means for boards each having longitudinally extend-' ing braces thereon, supports connected with said braces and extending at their upper ends above the same and at their lower ends below the same, ground devices adjustably connected with the lower ends of the supports of each of said bill boards, connecting members connected at their forward ends with the u per ends of the supports of one of said bi l boards andat their reareiids with the lower ends of the supports of the other billboard, and braces connected with the upper portion of the upper bill board and having ground members adjustably connected therewith. Y

In testimony that I-claim the foregoing asmy own, I have hereto affixed mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

, 'J. B GRANT. Witnesses W. E. HOWELL, Qrms. BAYLER. 

